Cleveland abuse
Sir: Alexandra Artley need not feel wronged (letters 30 July), for the truth of the Cleveland matter is exactly what she denies, that whilst a small number of children were genuinely and horrifically abused, in the vast majority of cases normal, decent, innocent families were torn apart as a result of the adherence of doctors and social workers to feminist and far-Left political philosophy. This is well documented.
It comes of course as no surprise that Mike Bishop, Director of Cleveland Social Services, still maintains that 'only' 26 children were wrongly removed from 12 families. As Stuart Bell MP has pointed out, Mr Bishop claims to be right in those cases where the families have been so devastated that the courts ruled that social workers should keep in touch to help these families recover from their ordeal!
In one case in particular, the judge ruled that the father 'could leave the court without a stain on his character', but the family still split up, and the children remain wards of court, and under supervi- sion. This case will be numbered as one of Mike Bishop's success stories. What was astonishing was to find Miss Artley going
even further, and writing that, without exception, where children had been re- turned to their families by the courts, this did not mean that the children had not been abused. This is strictly true, for the children were abused and assaulted by the doctors, but what a disgraceful way to smear the good name of perfectly innocent parents. What can Alexandra Artley be up to?
To return to Stuart Bell, it is warming that in contrast to the Butler-Sloss report and Miss Artley's comments, the then Minister for Health, Tony Newton, went out of his way to praise him in the House of Commons. Thank God that the Govern- ment has drawn the correct conclusions, for legislation will now be brought in to give parents legal rights of representation in the social work process. I am confident, Sir, that you and your readers will join us in support of it.
Graham Webster-Gardiner
Conservative Family Campaign, 45 West Hill Avenue, Epsom, Surrey
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